Apple: iPhone 5 preorders topped 2M in 24 hours

The company also says that while most preorders will be delivered on Friday, demand for the iPhone 5 exceeds the initial supply, so some of the devices are scheduled for delivery in October.

The iPhone 5 has a bigger screen -- 4 inches (10.16 centimeters) measured diagonally—that creates room for another row of icons and lets widescreen movies fit better. The calendar will now show five days at a time instead of just three. Previous iPhone models carried 3.5-inch (8.89-centimeter) screens.

Earlier Monday AT&T Inc. said it set a sales record for the iPhone 5, with customers ordering more of them than any previous iPhone model on the first day of preorders and over the weekend.